Opinion of Harry S. Truman

[Mordecai]

FF.

[Phony Moderate]

Fecking awful.

[Oakvale]

Massive FF, one of my favourite Presidents.

 Also it's Harry S Truman, not S.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

[TNF]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

Truman had a Democratic Congress from 1945-1947 (an a liberal one at that) and from 1949 to 1953, but didn't really do much of anything with it, aside from purge communists from public life and go on the offensive against the Soviet Union. He had plenty of opportunities to govern in the interests of his base, but ran from them more often than not.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

Truman had a Democratic Congress from 1945-1947 (an a liberal one at that) and from 1949 to 1953, but didn't really do much of anything with it, aside from purge communists from public life and go on the offensive against the Soviet Union. He had plenty of opportunities to govern in the interests of his base, but ran from them more often than not.

You realize nearly all of his pretty left-wing Fair Deal agenda (including universal healthcare) got voted down by those "liberal" congresses.

[MATTROSE94]

One of my favorite presidents.

[TNF]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

Truman had a Democratic Congress from 1945-1947 (an a liberal one at that) and from 1949 to 1953, but didn't really do much of anything with it, aside from purge communists from public life and go on the offensive against the Soviet Union. He had plenty of opportunities to govern in the interests of his base, but ran from them more often than not.

You realize nearly all of his pretty left-wing Fair Deal agenda (including universal healthcare) got voted down by those "liberal" congresses.

Sounds like Truman wasn't willing to fight for it or mobilize the public to support it.

[RogueBeaver]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

Truman had a Democratic Congress from 1945-1947 (an a liberal one at that) and from 1949 to 1953, but didn't really do much of anything with it, aside from purge communists from public life and go on the offensive against the Soviet Union. He had plenty of opportunities to govern in the interests of his base, but ran from them more often than not.

You realize nearly all of his pretty left-wing Fair Deal agenda (including universal healthcare) got voted down by those "liberal" congresses.

Sounds like Truman wasn't willing to fight for it or mobilize the public to support it.

You know how the Senate worked, TNF.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Had some bigoted views and never enforced his executive order to integrate the military, but an FF on almost everything else.

[Sec. of State Superique]

Definite FF. He'd've been one of the greats if it weren't for the Conservative Coalition.

Truman had a Democratic Congress from 1945-1947 (an a liberal one at that) and from 1949 to 1953, but didn't really do much of anything with it, aside from purge communists from public life and go on the offensive against the Soviet Union. He had plenty of opportunities to govern in the interests of his base, but ran from them more often than not.

You realize nearly all of his pretty left-wing Fair Deal agenda (including universal healthcare) got voted down by those "liberal" congresses.

Sounds like Truman wasn't willing to fight for it or mobilize the public to support it.

The guy who afforms that having the Congress rather than having the White House should be reconsidering his thoughts... Why are you blaming Truman if you know that wasn't his fault. "Making the public support it", things weren't as simple as you believe!

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Bump to remind Elections Guy and everyone else of this series.

[All Along The Watchtower]

FF, strong President and worthy successor to FDR. Definitely brought a no-bull, plainspoken style to the White House. Not that I agree with all of his actions as President...but I do think he was one of the better ones during the 20th century.

[Rooney]

The Mad Haberdasher of Independence is the worst president in American history. He violated the U.S. Constitution on a daily basis, gave birth to the millitary-industrial complex, wished to force socialist medicine of the United States, used nuclear weapons for poor reasons and, above all, invented the police action which has been abused by power hungry presidents time and time again. He is worse than Wilson, FDR, Clinton and Reagan. Harry S Truman is the worse president in American history.

First we should examine how he harmed the nation in terms of foreign affairs. The dropping of the atomic bomb on civilians in Japan was inhuman, especially considering that the Japanese had sued for peace earlier on in 1944 an 1945. The atomic bomb that fell on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 detonated in Urakami only 500 meters from the cathedral, completely destroying it. The mass of the Assumption of Mary (August 15) was approaching, thus the mass held on that day and was well attended. Due to heat wave and collapsed stones all were killed. The atomic bombing was inhuman and unjustified.

The Korean War gave birth to the undeclared war- "The Police Action." Truman's overzealous responses to the Soviet Union led to the unnecessary Cold War and the birth of the CIA police state. George F. Kennan, his National Security Adviser, gave birth to the idea of perpetual wars of "containment" that led to Vietnam, Nicaragua and Haiti throughout the Col War.

Additionally, Truman's modern military budgets during the the illegal Korean War helped give birth to the military-industrial complex. His recognition of the state of Israel has tied American interests to the Middle East and the countless, complex issues which affect that powder keg. Thus, Harry Truman's administration gave birth to the idea of undeclared "wars" and the American Middle Eastern policy that had killed so many and all sides.

Furthermore, Truman's outrageous corruption in his administration certainly hurt society. The IRS frauds and "mink coat bribery" were straight out of Boss Pendergast's Kansas City, however, they were being done in the White House, not a flop house. Truman was disgustingly corrupt. Also, his deranged economic theories in the form of the "Fair Deal" paved the way for the wasteful  "Great Society" of Lyndon Johnson (who is the second worst president in the United States).  

Thus, for dropping atomic bombs that killed thousands of Japanese non-combatants; for creating the CIA with a mandate to destroy undesirable democracy around the world via assassination and coups; for instigating the Cold War with the help of George F. Kennan; for his illegal, unjust involvement in the Korean War; and for playing a major role in the establishment of American policy in the Middle East and Israel; for his massive corruption and for paving the way for the modern welfare state Harry Truman should be known as the worst president in US history.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

worst president in US history.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The fact that you treat 'paving the way for the modern [ridiculously minimal by any compassionate standards, in this country] welfare state' as in any way comparable to the other, legitimate, things for which you criticize Truman says a lot about you, Rooney.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Petty mixed overall. Domestically a pretty fantastic president, but the atomic bombings is something that I'm skeptical of the claim that it was necessary and even more Japanese deaths would've occurred otherwise.

[The Dowager Mod]

"The Mad Haberdasher of Independence is the worst president in American history. He violated the U.S. Constitution on a daily basis, gave birth to the millitary-industrial complex, wished to force socialist medicine of the United States, used nuclear weapons for poor reasons and, above all, invented the police action which has been abused by power hungry presidents time and time again. He is worse than Wilson, FDR, Clinton and Reagan. Harry S Truman is the worse president in American history."

HAHA this made me giggle.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

"The Mad Haberdasher of Independence is the worst president in American history. He violated the U.S. Constitution on a daily basis, gave birth to the millitary-industrial complex, wished to force socialist medicine of the United States, used nuclear weapons for poor reasons and, above all, invented the police action which has been abused by power hungry presidents time and time again. He is worse than Wilson, FDR, Clinton and Reagan. Harry S Truman is the worse president in American history."

HAHA this made me giggle.

Especially given Wilson's multiple police actions in Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, to claim Truman invented them is ridiculous.  (Not that Wilson invented them either.)

[PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald]

Petty mixed overall. Domestically a pretty fantastic president, but the atomic bombings is something that I'm skeptical of the claim that it was necessary and even more Japanese deaths would've occurred otherwise.

While there are debates over the effect of the atomic bomb on WWII, I don't think there is any debate on Korea. It was good that we tested relatively weak bombs and established the prohibition on nuclear weapons being used in small conflicts rather than glassing the Korean peninsula and/or starting WWIII by nuking China.

[politicallefty]

FF; one of my favourite Presidents. It's only a shame that he, like LBJ, had an unfortunate war bogging him down and preventing another term. He successfully took down the Republican Congress in the 1948 election. After LBJ in 1968, Truman in 1952 would be my second choice for an extra term in office (and both would've been constitutional).

[TNF]

FF; one of my favourite Presidents. It's only a shame that he, like LBJ, had an unfortunate war that he chose to fight and actively continued to fight in spite of 50,000 dying to protect the South Korean autocracybogging him down and preventing another term. He successfully took down the Republican Congress in the 1948 election and then did nothing productive with his subsequent Democratic Congress, his promises on the campaign trail to the contrary. After LBJ in 1968, Truman in 1952 would be my second choice for an extra term in office (and both would've been constitutional).

FTFY

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

TBF, the Democrats retaking Congress in 1948 meant little, as the Republican-Dixiecrat alliance still held a de facto majority and prevented any repeal of Taft-Hartley (which doesn't excuse that Truman still achieved little of his domestic agenda despite the 1948 Democratic platform being the best ever). However, from a good book I read on the 1948 election I still can't help but sympathize with him overall.

Korea was still a bloody pointless mess (especially as North Korea technically grew slightly larger and that the war probably helped build a siege mentality that converted the Norks from a normal communist dictatorship to one that completely went off the deep end) that's sadly been forgotten, perhaps because Vietnam was an even bloodier and more pointless mess.